Unit drive mixing machine



Oct. 17, 1939. A. c. CHRISTENSEN 2,176,207

UNIT DRIVE MIXING MACHINE Filed March 5, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 17, 1939. A. c. CHRISTENSEN 2,176,207

UNIT DRIVE MIXING MACHINE Filed March 5, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J6 4% i 4 /9 2 382i 4/ I i Z2 W V 35 Z? W M z: fl'fi lg a m Q 3 za I J/ 4 i 4 7 6 4Z5 Z5 /7y/eda0%s wa /z 50 shaft of the mixing mechanism, said unit drive in standard foundry sand mixers. 5.0

Patented Oct. 17, 1939 U NlTE -D STATES PATENT oFFieE UNIT DRIVE MIXING MACHINE Alfred C. Christensen, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Herbert S. Simpson, Chicago, Ill.

Application March 5, 1938, Serial No. 194,104

3 Claims. (01. 74-606) This invention relates 'to a vmixer for use in repairs without necessitating dismemberment of foundry practice .and the like for mixing new substantially the entire mixer.

- and old molding sands for .properly mulling and Other and further important objects of this kneading thes'ands to form the required mixture. invention will be apparent from the disclosures in 25 In old types of sand mixers the driving and 013- the specification and the accompanying drawings. :5 crating mechanisms for the mullers and plows The invention (in a preferred form) is illusare generally exposed so that they are subject trated in the drawingsand hereinafter more fully to the foundry dust and dirt and have been furdescribed. thermore arranged so that when repairs are need- On the drawings:

ed to one or moreof the parts it becomes neces- Figure l is a vertical section of a foundry mix- 10 sary to disassemble substantially the entire maer embodying the principles of this invention and chine before access can be had to the parts reillustrating the operating parts in elevation.

quiring replacement. Figure 2 is a top plan view of the unit drive and In the present invention, a mixing machine has motor taken on line II-II of Figure l with the been devised wherein the mixing and mulling supporting pedestals of the mixer omitted. 15 members within the container or mixing box are Figure 3 is a vertical detail section through the adapted to beoperated by means'of an improved unit drive taken substantially on line 1IIIII of drive unit consisting of a plurality of connected Figure 2. housing units for enclosing the driving gear Figure 4 is another vertical detail section mechanisms and so arranged that the gear mechthrough the unit drive taken substantially on 20 anisms in the various housing sections are adaptline IV-IV of Figure 2 with the interior mechaed to be readily accessible for replacement or renisms shown in elevation. pairs without necessitating the dismemberment As shown on the drawings: of substantially the whole machine. The foundry machine comprises a plurality of It is an object of this invention to provide an pedestals or upright posts i having rigidly sup- 25 improved foundry mixing machine wherein the ported on the tops thereof a bed plate or bottom mulling and kneadingmechanismswithinthe con- 2 provided with an integral marginal flange or tainer or mixing box are connected to be driven rim 3. The bed plate 2 is provided with a disby a unit drive connected between a driving motor charge opening 4 adapted to be closed by means 0 and a driving shaft for the mechanism within of a door, which is omitted. The top surface of the container or mixing box. the bed plate 2 is recessed, and has rigidly seat- It is also an object of this invention to proed therein a steel plate 5. Positioned upon the vide an improved type of foundry mixer with bed plate 2 adjacent the inner side of the upper aunit drive of the encased type wherein the housportion of the flange 3 is a mixing box or coning is arranged in connected sections for enclostainer 6 for receiving the new and old molding 35 ing variousgroups of driving members afiording sands which are to be mulled and mixed. Inan arrangement whereby the driving members tegrally formed in the middle portion of the bed may be readily repaired or replaced by simply plate 2 and projecting downwardly therefrom opening or removing one or more of the housing is a seat 1 which terminates in a downwardly sections. projecting neck or collar 3. 40

It is furthermore an object of this invention to Engaged in the bed plate seat 1 is a flange porprovide a foundry mixer with an easily accessible tion 9 of a bearing turret ID in which a main and remountable unit drive connected between vertical mixing shaft II is journalled. Engaged the main vertical shaft and the source of driving in a recess in the upper end of the turret H3 is a power of the mixer. thrust bearing l2 through which the upper end 45 It is an important object of this invention to of the main shaft ll projects. Supported on the provide an improved and simplified form of upper projecting end of the vertical main shaft foundry mixer by providing a unit drive be- H is a cross head or spider [3 which carries the tween the main driving shaft and the driving mullers l4 and the mixing plows usually provided including an easily disassembled section or hous- Integrally formed on the bottom of the bed ing enclosing a lubricant pump and speed replate 2 is a downwardly projecting top housing ducing gear sets which are completely enclosed section 15 provided with an integral outwardly and protected against dust and dirt and are furprojecting horizontal supporting flange it, to

5 thermore readily accessible for replacement or which the casing or housing of the unit drive 5.

mechanism is adapted to be rigidly but removably secured.

The unit drive mechanisms for operating the main mixer shaft l I at a required speed comprises an upper housing section I! provided with an upper flange l8 which seats tightly against the bottom of the bed plate flange l6 and is removably secured thereto by means of bolts or other suitable securing devices. The upper casing or housing section I! has the bottom thereof partially closed by means of a bottom plate [9 providing an upper gear receiving chamber 29 within the upper housing section I1. A lower flange 2| is integrally provided on the upper housing section H. An opening 22 is provided in the bottom of the upper housing section l1.

Disposed within the chamber 20 of the upper housing section I! is largehelical gear 23 which is secured on the lower projecting end of the main vertical mixing shaft II. The large helical gear 23 meshes with a small helical gear or helical pinion 24. The helical pinion 24 is mounted on the upper end of an auxiliary vertical shaft 25 forming part of a lower speed reduction unit mounted within a lower housing section 26. The lower housing section 26 encloses a lower set of speed reduction gears and a pump mechanism. Integrally formed on the upper end of the lower auxiliary housing section 26 is a flange 21 which is removably secured by bolts or other suitable fastening means to the lower flange 2l| of the upper housing section I 1. The lower housing section 26 has the bottom thereof closed by means of a removable bottom or base 28 which is retained in place by means of screw bolts or other suitable fastening means. Integrally formed on the inner surface of the bottom 28 is a bearing sleeve 29 in which a thrust bearing 39 for the lower end of the auxiliary shaft 25 is mounted. A removable inner sleeve 3i and a closure plate 32 (Figure 1) are engaged in the lower end of the bearing sleeve 29 to hold the thrust bearing 30 in place. Engaged around the upper portion of the auxiliary shaft 25 is an upper thrust bearing 33 which, in turn, is supported in place in a conical closure or cover 34 forming an integral part of a top closure plate 36 of the lower housing section 26. The conical cover portion 34 is provided with a drain opening or aperture 35 to permit oil from the upper chamber 29 to drain back into the lower housing section 26. As illustrated in Figure 4, the top 36 of the lower housing section 26 is, also, provided with an oil return aperture or opening at 3T.

Keyed or otherwise secured on the lower auxiliary shaft 25 within the housing section 26 is a large gear 38 which forms a part of a lower speed reduction gear group. The gear 38 meshes with a pinion 39 which is keyed or otherwise secured on a vertical shaft 49, the upper end of which is journalled in a thrust bearing 4| mounted within a bearing sleeve 42 projecting downwardly from the top or cover 36 of the lower housing section 26, as clearly illustrated in Figure 3. The lower end of the vertical shaft is journalled within a suitable thrust bearing mounted within a bearing housing or sleeve 43 formed on the inner face of the bottom 28 of the auxiliary housing section 26. Also keyed or secured on the shaft 49 below the pinion 39 is a bevel gear 44. Mounted on the shaft 40 beneath the bevel gear 44 is a gear 45.

The gear 45 is in mesh with and drives a small gear 46 which is mounted on the upper projecting end of a shaft forming part of an oil pump 41. The lower end of an oil distributing tube or pipe 48 is connected with the oil pump 41, and said tube 48 projects upwardly through the top 36 of the housing section 26 and into the chamber 20 of the upper housing section, with the upper end of the oil tube 48 positioned adjacent the helical gear or pinion 24 to spray oil thereon to lubricate the upper set of speed reduction gears within the housing section II.

The sets of gear mechanisms in the unit drive are operated from a beveled pinion 49 which is mounted on the inner end of a shaft section 50 journalled in a suitable bearing 5| supported in one of the walls of the auxiliary housing section 26. The auxiliary driving shaft 50 is connected by means of a coupling 52 to the shaft 53 of an electric driving motor 54.

With the provision of a completely enclosed unit drive mechanism between the driving motor 54 and the mulling and kneading mechanisms within the mixing box 6, an improved foundry mixing machine is provided in which the pump mechanism and the gear reduction groups provided in the sections of the demountable housings of the unit drive are readily accessible for replacement or repairs due to the novel arrangement of the sectional housing. The sectional housing of the unit drive also serves as a protecting means for the pump and gear mechanisms to keep the same clean and free from the dust and dirt which usually circulates around mixing machines in foundries and the like.

It will, of course, be understood that numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing fro-m the principles of this invention, and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a mixing machine having a centrally located vertical axle, a bed-plate having an integrally formed depending annular flange, a first casing removably secured to and depending from said flange and forming therewith a housing for gear wheels cooperating with the axle, said casing having a closure member partially closing its lower end and extending outwardly therefrom to provide a bracket adapted to support a prime mover, a second annular casing removably secured to and depending from said first casing, said second casing cooperating with said closure member to completely close the lower end of said first casing.

2. In a mixing machine having a centrally located vertical axle, a bed-plate, a first casing removably secured to and depending from said bedplate and adapted to house a horizontally disposed gear attached to the axle, said first casing being arranged to have a prime mover secured to and depending therefrom, a second casing removably secured to and depending from said first casing and disposed to one side of the vertical axis of said axle, said second casing having a closure member at its upper end arranged to carry a journal, and cooperable with the other closure means on said first casing to close the lower end of said first casing, a closure member removably secured to the lower end of said first casing and arranged to carry a bearing for a vertical shaft having gear means thereon for connection with said motor in said second casing revolvable in the upper and lower closure members of said second casing.

3. In a mixing machine having a centrally located vertical axle mounted in a thrust bearing on a bed-plate, a first annular casing removably secured to and depending from said bed-plate and forming a housing for a horizontally disposed gear Wheel connected With the axle, a second casing removably secured to and depending from said first casing and disposed on one side of the vertical axis of the axle, said second casing being arranged to have a. prime mover secured thereto and depending therefrom on the opposite side of the vertical axis of the axle, means forming a closure for the lower end of said first casing and including a closure member on the upper end of said second casing formed integral with said second casing and carrying a journal, means forming a closure member removably secured to the lower end of said second casing and carrying a journal, said second casing being adapted to have a vertical shaft revolvably mounted in the upper and lower closure members of said second casing and Which carries gear means connected with said prime mover and with said axle.

ALFRED C. CHRISTENSEN. 

